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BY 



ELIZABETH HAYS WILKINSON 




A. D. 1066 



REED AND WITTING. PITTSBURGH 
1910 






Copyright October, 1910 

BY 

EI^IZABETH HAYS WII^KINSON 



CCI.A27S853 






^ TO 

MY MOTHER 

WHO GAVE ME A HAPPY CHILDHOOD 

AND TO 

MY THREE LITTLE FRIENDS 

VIRGINIA SUTTON 
CHARLES SEELY 
ROBERT SEELY 

WHO ARE NOW IN THEIR PLAYTIME 



ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

SARAH McILVAINE SEELY 



Cj0nt?nt0 



PAGE 

THE LANE TO SLEEPY TOWN .... 3 

DAYS TO COME ^ 

LETTERS ^ 

THE CLOCK ^ 

THE LITTLE PHILOSOPHER 7 

THE SWING ^ 

A JOURNEY ^ 

BOY DREAMS 10-11 

THE INVITATION 12 

IN THE PARK 13 

THE FAIRIES 14-15 

THE MOON 16 

THE HILLS OF DREAM 17 

TIRED OUT IS 

BUBBLES -19 

BABY BROTHER '20 

THE SANDMAN 21-22 

STORY PEOPLE 23-24 

THE SLIDE 25 

V 



PAGE 

THE GYPSY CHILD 26 

MY SHADOW 27 

DREAMLAND BELLS 28 

THE WISH 29 

THE LAND OF NEVER- TO-BE . . . . .30 

THE GRAPE ARBOR 31 

THE MIRROR 32 

THE LONELY BOY 33 

A RESOLUTION 34 

THE TIN SOLDIERS \ .35 

BEFORE THE FIRE . .36 

AT THE SEASHORE 37 

THE IDOL 38 

IN THE FARAWAY . . 39 

THROUGH THE WINDOW . .... 40-41 

WAITING FOR FATHER 42-43 

GOOD MORNING 44 

GOOD NIGHT 45 

THE GHOST 46 

SHADOW PEOPLE 47 

GRANDMA 48 

THE WAITING STAR .' 49 

A TRAVELER 50 

WISDOM 51 

vl 



Cdont^ntB — CHonttnufb 

PAG£ 

CAfclTLES 52 

THE LAND OF NOD 53 

THE LITTLE DRESSMAKER 54 

THE REASON WHY 55 

THE BEST GIFT 56 

THE TALISMAN 57-58 

THE RAIN 59 

A SACRIFICE 60 

THE SEE-SAW 61 

THE WORLD . 62 

A LETTER TO GRANDPA 63 

THE SAILOR 64 

WISHES THREE 65 

THE LAND OF PLAY 66 




yu 



THE LANE TO SLEEPY TOWN 
and OTHER VERSES 



THE LANE TO SLEEPY TOWN 

FAR down the lane, the dusky lane, that 
leads to Sleepy Town, 
I travel slowly every night just when the sun 

goes down. 
I see bold dragons by the way, or soldiers 

brave and tall; 
But when I try to speak to them they're never 

there at all! 
The goblins queer peep from the trees, and 

laughing fairies, too; 
Then often as I ride along, a witch pops 

into view. 
The princess whom I love the best bows merrily 

to me; 
Aladdin chases Robin Hood for bow and arrows 

three. 
Tom Thumb is in my pony's ear and guides 

him on the road; 
We pass the naughty little boy that's turned 

into a toad. 
Each night I mean to capture gay Tom Tucker 

or Bo-Peep; 
But always at the long lane's end, I find I'm 

fast asleep. 



DAYS TO COME 

O O many tales await for me 

To tell and read contentedly; 
So many people I shall know 
As onward through the world I go; 
So many places to explore 
Lie hidden safe on every shore; 
It seems I cannot be too glad 
That I was born a little lad — 
The world's so wondrous and so fair, 
And filled with magic everywhere. 



LETTERS 

T^HE postman brings us letters 

From our friends across the sea; 
And often there is tucked inside 

A Kttle kiss for me. 
It stays safe in the corner 

Underneath a tiny cross, 
No matter how the winds may blow, 

Or how the ship may toss. 



THE CLOCK 

THE faithful clock is my best friend, 
It always thinks of me; 
It tells me when my lessons end, 
And when 'tis time for tea. 

It counts the hours as they pass 

All through the busy day; 
It's always watching through the glass 

Lest one should get away. 

And even in the quiet night, 
When shadows round it creep. 

It stays on guard until the light. 
And calls me from my sleep. 



THE LITTLE PHILOSOPHER 



I LOVE to walk with Father, for he's very 
straight and tall ; 
My steps are not so long as his, but then you 
know I'm small. 



The tinj^ steps are made for boys, and great big 

ones for men; 
So when I grow up taller I shall walk like 
Father then. 

I think it's very queer how he got lost into 

a man, 
And can't tell where the boy has gone he was* 

when he began! 

Vm going to ask the fairies to be watching, 

so I'll know 
Where this boy "me" has wandered to, if I 
begin to grow. 

When I told Father that he laughed, then said 

he hoped I would. 
So he'd not lose his little boy who's always 

brave and good. 



THE SWING 

T T NDER the apple tree 
^^ Where shadows play 
Hide and go-seek with me 

All through the day — 
There, where the robins nest, 

Ho! for my swing! 
Sailing away in air 

Gaily I cling. 
Oh, how the breezes blow 

Blossoms aside! 
Oh, how the grasses grow 

Green as I ride! 
Oh, how the flowers fade 

Far down below, 
As with the butterflies 

Skyward I go! 
Under the apple tree 

Where shadows play 
Hide and go-seek with me 

All through the day. 







^^.^if^W^r 



^H^-~ 



THE vSWING 



A JOURNEY 

jV /lY nurse and I went far away 

Along the garden fence one day. 
We passed the rows of holly hocks, 
And all the drowsy f our-o'clocks ; 
A bird that sat upon a rail 
Was singing me a fairy tale; 
The warm winds tossed my curls about, 
And made me glad that I was out. 
I wished that I might longer stay 
With birds and flowers and winds to play, 
But when we reached the open lane. 
We turned and came back home again. 



BOY DREAMS 

TT'ACH night when I have said my prayers, 

^"^ And all the others have said theirs, 

And Mother kisses me in bed, 

Then slips away till night has fled — 

I close my eyes and sail afar 

Into a land of mist and star. 

The queerest things at times befall, 
For I am not myself at all. 
But just a tiny, happy boy 
No bigger than my smallest toy. 
My soldiers talk and move about. 
And with them I march in and out. 

The captain's pointing toward a hill, 
Where sits a giant grim and still. 
We march abroad to capture him, 
With shining swords and bucklers trim, 
But soon we see him fade away. 
And fast become a castle gray. 

10 



Boy Dreams 

I climb up in the orchard tree 
That in the day's too high for me; 
And, as I look far down below, 
I see a mystic river flow ; 
And on it is my tiny ship 
Just sailing off upon a trip. 

And through the pleasant meadow sown 

With friendly flowers, I go alone. 

A magic horn lies in the grass, 

I blow upon it as I pass; 

Then while the sound rings sweet and clear, 

I wake to find that morning's here. 



11 



THE INVITATION 

TV 7 ILL you come to my tea party? 

^^ All my dollies will be there; 
They will wear their best white dresses, 
And new ribbons in their hair. 

I've a tiny set of dishes 

Just like Mother's — white and blue — 
With six plates and cups and saucers, 

And an extra one for you. 

We'll have tea of milk and sugar, 
With some little currant cakes; 

Nora makes them for my dolhes 
Every Wednesday when she bakes. 

We two will be grown-up ladies — 
You must come, now, just at four; 

And if you like this tea party. 

Then, perhaps, we'll have some more. 



12 



IN THE PARK 

/^NE night the wind came out to play 

When I was in the park; 
The moon was watching through a cloud, 

And lighted all the dark; 
The shadows danced upon the wall, 

And then an old tree said: 
"I'm glad the leaves can have some fun 

Before they go to bed." 



13 



THE FAIRIES 

DEAR, do you know that fairies love each 
laughing little child? 
And always when you see one it is 'cause a baby's 
smiled. 

They're made from tiny patches of the rainbow 

in the sky, 
And are always bright and happy, for they 

once have been so high. 

They float to earth from Rainbow Land at just 

the close of day; 
'Tis when the sun in setting sends abroad a 

violet ray. 

They hide among the flowers sweet, or in the 

grasses long, 
And often by the brookside you will hear a 

fairy's song. 

They love the chirping crickets, and down in 

the grassy dells, 
The spiders weave them fairy swings among 

the lily bells. 

They love the silver moonlight, 'tis the color of 
their wings; 

14 



The Fairies 

They love the restless breezes for they whisper 
magic things. 

And on the shining water all the little people 

float; 
A leaf or tiny rosebud often serves them for a 

boat. 

Whene'er you see the fireflies out with lanterns 

bright and trim, 
Be sure they're guiding fairies safely through 

the evening dim. 

The bees sip honey for them from the cups of 
nodding flowers. 

And leave it with the dew drops hidden safe with- 
in their bowers. 

The butterflies quite often take the fairies for a 

ride, 
A prince may always ask for one to carry his 

dear bride. 

And always when a fairy goes back home to 

Rainbow Land, 
Her path is strewn with blossoms as a token 

from her band. 

15 



THE MOON 

/^NE evening as we walked to church. 

The moon was in the sky; 
It followed us quite all the way 

Though it was up so high. 
And all the time we were inside 

A-Kstening to the prayer, 
It waited for us, 'cause you know, 

When we came out, 'twas there! 
And then it followed us again. 

And made all light as day 
Until we reached our very door, 

And there it seemed to stay. 
Now wasn't it a lovely moon 

To shine for us that way ? 



16 



THE HILLS OF DREAM 

nPHE Hiils of Dream before me lie, 

And some far day perhaps I'll try 

To climb their magic way. 
Surrounded by a purple mist 
Their heights await me, sunbeam-kissed, 

When I am through with play. 

Afar, without my toys, I'll go 
Where fairy winds but seldom blow, 

Through winding paths I'll stray. 
And 'though I'll wish for golden luck, 
Yet may I be content to pluck 

A dream rose day by day. 



17 



TIRED OUT 

I'VE sent my boat a-sailmg, and I've tumbled 
in the hay 

To hide from elves and fairies there, so many 
times today; 

I've played at being soldier, and I've climbed 
up in the tree 

To peep into the birds' nests, and I'm tired as 
I can be. 

I'll rest beneath these willows, for they make a 
pleasant nook, 

To-morrow I'll go fishing all along the sunny 
brook ; 

But now I'll close my eyes awhile — ^until you 
count to ten, 

I lost my knife, "six, seven, eight" — I wonder 

was 
it 
when — 



18 




BUBBLES 



BUBBLES 



MERRY, merry bubbles ever light and 
gay, 
How I love to watch them as they sail 
away! 

See this one still floating lightly on the 
air. 

Full of pretty colors caught from every- 
where ? 

See that one now drifting through the window 

wide. 
Gone to find a sunbeam on the other side? 

See the third one rising far above the rest, 
With the blue sky through it? Oh, I love it 
best! 

Now a breeze is stirring, but Hwill soon be 
past. 

Ah! the merry bubbles — There! they've burst 
at last! 

19 



BABY BROTHER 

I ITTLE baby brother 
"■"^ I love best of all; 
Better than my play things, 
Or my oldest doll. 
Better than a fairy tale, 
Or the flowers in spring; 
He^s so sweet I love him 
Best of any thing. 



20 



THE SANDMAN 

*1\ /fOST every night at eight o'clock^ 

iVl Though often 'tis before — 
The sandman comes a-creeping past, 
And looks in at the door. 

He's bent way over with a sack 
Just brimming full of sand; 

He hunts the little girls and boys 
All up and down the land. 

And one he finds upon the steps, 

Another by the gate ; 
While some are playing with their dolls, 

Although it's grown so late. 

Sometimes a boy is in the house 

All curled up in a chair; 
But if the Sandman comes along 

He finds him even there! 



21 



The Sandman 

He throws the tmy golden grains 

Into the children's eyes ; 
They never see him going past — 

He's always a surprise! 

TheA^ never can run after him. 

Or round the corner peep; 
For always, when he leaves the town, 

The children are asleep. 



22 



STORY PEOPLE 

f LOVE the story people, for I know them 
* best of all; 

I visit them in many lands, in places great 
and small. 

Some live in stately castles by the ever-chang- 
ing sea; 

And others live by magic just wherever they 
would be. 

The witches and the goblins, or the giants 

great and tall. 
The fairies and the princesses, I know them 

one and all. 

Bo-Peep and daring Robin Hood each take me 

by the hand, 
To wander over hill and dale afar in Story 

Land. 

Aladdin lends his magic lamp to serve me as 
my guide, 

23 



Story People 

And Alice tells of Wonderland, with Boy Blue 
at her side. 

Oh, I love the story people! Don't you want 

to come with me 
To wear their crowns, and blow their horns, and 

follow them to sea? 

For they never will grow older, and they'll 

never run away; 
But they'll be ever waiting for the child who's 

tired of play. 



24 



THE SLIDE 

/^NE, two, three! 
^^ Away we go, 
Down the sHde 
All in a row. 

Watch out there! 

Some one is down, 
I can't stop 

For all in town. 

Never mind, 

We're safe at last. 
In a heap 

We came so fast. 

Up we climb 

To reach the top; 
It's such fun 

We'll never stop ! 

25 



THE GYPSY CHILD 

A ROVING Gypsy child I'd be, 

With all Out-doors a home to me. 
I'd listen to the bird notes wild 
That make wood music for a child; 
And seek the timid little flowers 
That hide in nooks through summer hours; 
I'd watch the squirrel beneath the tree, 
And wish that he would play with me. 
And then as Autumn passes by, 
When woods are still, and winds are high, 
J'd hear the rustle of her gown, 
And steal a leaf from her gay crown. 



MY SHADOW 

(With apologies to R. I,. Stevenson) 

I HAVE a little playmate who is never far 
from me. 
He skips and runs and dances just as nimbly as 

can be; 
He does the things that I do, in a very quiet 

way, 
But only when it's sunny can he come out doors 
to play. 

Sometimes he hides behind me, then he's very, 

very small; 
But if a fairy pinches him he grows up straight 

and tall. 
He dresses so much like me that you'd think he 

was my twin; 
And when we race together we don't either of 

us win ! 

He helps me dig the garden, and he helps me 

feed my bird ; 
But he is very shy — indeed, he never speaks a 

word ! 
Each day when Mother calls me in to take 

my nap at three, 
I wave my hand in parting, and my shadow 

waves to me. 

27 



DREAMLAND BELLS 

IT ARK! the dreamland bells are tinkling, 

Do you hear their silver tone? 
One by one the stars are twinkling, 
They've a music of their own. 

Now the fairies all are tripping 
To the echoes in the dells; 
Or from dew drops the}^ are sipping 
As they listen to the bells. 

And the silken poppies blending 
Their sweet fragrance with the air, 
Are caressed by children bending, 
Drowsy-eyed and smiling there. 

When the day comes shyly peeping 
Round the shadow of grey night. 
Then the bells, their magic keeping. 
All grow fainter with the light. 



28 



THE WISH 

T Y 7HEN I am tucked in bed at night, and all 

^^ the Hghts are low, 
A very funny little elf comes gaily on tip-toe. 

He sits upon my bed post where he winks his 

eye at me; 
Then hides behind the coverlet, and thinks I 

cannot see. 

Sometimes he makes a funny bow, and wisely 

nods his head ; 
"Now try your luck and wish," says he, "each 

night when you're in bed." 

And once I only wished 'twas light, I don't know 

why — just cause! 
But what do you think came to pass? When I 

awoke it was! 



29 



THE LAND OF NEVER-TO-BE 

EVER and ever so far away, 
In the Land of Never-to-be, 
There hves a child who will always stay 
Both tiny and happy like me. 

His boats ever sail over tropical seas, 
Where fairy winds guide them ashore ; 
And even the frailest and smallest of these 
Is laden with treasure and store. 

His loyal tin soldiers stand ever in line, 
To wait but his word of command; 
They win all his battles, and afterwards dine 
On the choicest of fruits in the land. 

And always there's waiting high up in a tower, 
A princess surpassingly fair. 
Who knows he will come at the magical hour 
To capture her joyfully there. 

But where is the kingdom that's holding today 
This wonderful child like me? 
It's ever and ever so far away, 
In the Land of Never-to-be. 

30 



THE GRAPE ARBOR 

OENEATH the arbor, arched and low, 

•*-^ The dancing sunbeams come and go. 

They shyly touch my face and dress 

For just a moment in caress. 

The shadows chase them in and out, 

A merry game is theirs, no doubt. 

Upon the arbor, all aglow. 
The purple tinted grapes hang low; 
They hide behind the leaves so broad, 
And to the wind they often nod. 
Oh, what a pretty place to play. 
And watch the sun beams all the day ! 



31 



THE MIRROR 

T^HE moon is a mirror as every one knows, 
For even the sun turns to look as he goes ; 
And so if you stood on its rim like an elf, 
And gazed at its surface — you'd see but your- 
self! 



THE LONELY BOY 

I AM so very lonely — 

* They think I don't play fair; 

And I have lost dear Rover, 

For he's not any where. 

I've looked out in the garden, 

And all about the pond; 

And even where the cows are 

In Uncle's field beyond. 

My engine too, is broken, 
And won't stay on the track; 
I wish it could be mended. 
And Rover would come back — 
For I'm so very lonely. 
And no one seems to care; 
But I w-will not cry, 
I'll be a man — so there! 



33 



A RESOLUTION 

I WILL never go to school when I am big 
Uke Kate; 
'Cause there's so much more to learn than just 
what's on a slate. 

I'll find where the shadows hide each time 

the sun goes out, 
And why it is that fairy folk so seldom 

come about. 

Why the fishes never drown way down beneath 

the sea; 
Why my Httle brother Jack will not play dolls 

with me. 

Why the good things make you sick, and bad 

stuff makes you well ; 
Why, if you've a secret, you should always 

want to tell. 

I will not have time for school, there'll be so 

much to do; 
Daddy says he is afraid I never will get 

through ! 

34 



THE TIN SOLDIERS 

I LEAVE my soldiers every night upon the 

nursery floor; 
For even if they're made of tin Hke others in 

the store, 
A fairy, with her magic wand, could say, 

"Now be alive!" 
They'd fight brave battles then in war, and for 

their country strive. 
But always one I hide away, safe in the corner 

there, 
Because he only has one leg, and if he knew, 

he'd care. 
Then soon as morning comes again I place him 

with the rest, 
And make him captain over all because I love 

him best. 



35 



BEFORE THE FIRE 

T TPON the rug I love to lie, 

With just the open fire nearby, 
And feel the magic of its glow, 
Or watch the pictures come and go. 
I see brave soldiers dressed in blue, 
With gleaming swords and helmets, too; 
I fear the witch, with angry frown, 
Who seeks her cat in Ember Town; 
I spy the castles tall and grey. 
Each looming up so far away; 
While on a misty mountain there, 
A fairy princess binds her hair; 
I wish that she would bow to me, 
I wonder what her name may be; 
But in a moment she has fled, 
And I go silently to bed. 



36 




-^ fl' 



> 



\ ^. 




AT THE vSEAvSHORK 



AT THE SEA SHORE 

r^ OWN by the sunny sea shore there are miles 

*--^ and miles of sand! 

I build great hills and tunnels, or a castle tall 

and grand. 
I have a blue tin bucket with a very tiny spade, 
And if I tuck my skirts up, so, I may go out to 

wade. 

The waves run up to play with me with such a 

funny roar, 
And soon as one is tired out the ocean makes 
some more. 

I gather pretty sea shells, too, that lie along 

the beach ; 
My Mother always tells me that a fairy hved in 

each. 

And sometimes in the ripples I can sail my 

dolly's boat ; 
Though often it tips over, yet quite often it 

will float. 

At night there is a silver path far out upon the 

sea, 
And then the moon peeps through a cloud, and 

stares and stares at me ! 

37 



THE IDOL 

|i ^Y big brother's eight years old, and I am 

only three. 
He can do most anything — play horse, or climb 

a tree. 

He'll slide down the cellar-door, or walk the 

garden wall; 
He is not a bit afraid, and doesn't ever fall. 

He can sail his new red kite so high up in the air, 
That unless you saw the string you'd say it 
wasn't there. 

He can spin a top, and shoot his marbles with 

his thumbs ; 
But when he comes home from school he cannot 
do his sums! 



38 



IN THE FARAWAY 

JUST now we're only playmates, 
But in the Faraway, 
Suppose we cross the borders 

Beyond the Land of Play — 
Suppose we be two sweethearts, 

And wander where, it seems, 
There flows a mystic river 

On through the Land of Dreams. 
Suppose we choose to guide us 

The one loved magic Star; 
And we'll be ever happy 

In that fair land afar! 



39 



THROUGH THE WINDOW 

ONE time when I was very ill and stayed 
in bed all day, 
I didn't have to dress at all, and didn't want 
to play. 

But through the window wide I saw the tree-top 

world near by, 
Where tiny nests with tiny eggs were cradled 

safe and high. 

The birds kept hopping in and out on branches 

high and low ; 
I wished so much that one would wait to sing 

before he'd go. 

And farther off, against the blue, the clouds 

piled white and high ; 
Just like a towered city built by angels in 

the sky. 

Sometimes the towers tumbled down or turned 

to something strange ; 
I loved to watch things melt away, or fade 

into a change. 

40 



Through the Window 

And once, when I had looked quite long, I saw 

an angel's wing; 
'Twas white and soft and feathery, as plain 

as anything. 

And always after that there came a bird who 

sang a song. 
Now don't you s'pose the angel knew I'd wanted 

him so long.? 



41 



WAITING FOR FATHER 

WHEN we have played out doors all day 
And finished all our sums, 
Then hand in hand upon the steps we wait 'till 
Father comes. 

I speak to tell about the horse that trampled 

on our lawn, 
Then Charlie says, "It's my turn now, you told 

that Fido's gone." 

When I would tell about the bird that pussy 

scared away. 
Says he, "I'll tell about the jam that Mother 

made to-day." 

When we see Father down the street, we both 

run out to meet him. 
And it's a race to see which one can be the first 

to greet him. 

Dear Father takes me by one hand and Charlie 

by the other ; 
And as we walk along he says : "Now, tell me, 

what of Mother.?" 



Waiting: for Father 

Then right away we start to talk, it doesn't 

matter whether 
'Tis CharHe's turn or mine, because we tell him 
both together ! 



43 



GOOD MORNING 

THE sun is peeping round the hill 
Just like a big surprise. 
Awake, my pretty little one, 
'Tis time for you to rise! 

The mouse has gone to seek his hole, 

The owl has vanished, too. 
The birds, and brooks, and shady nooks, 

Are all in wait for you. 

The daisies and the buttercups 

Are dancing in the sun; 
The blue sky, too, looks down on you. 

Now that the day's begun. 

The morning fairies long have supped 
The dew to make them wise; 

'Tis time, my pretty little one, 
For you to wake, and rise ! 



44 



GOOD-NIGHT 

THE sun is sleeping in the skies. 
Each bird is in his nest, 
The wind is crooning lullaby es, 
'Tis time to be at rest. 

The flowers are nodding too, it seems, 

Each lamb is in the fold ; 
The stars are shining o'er the streams. 

Now day's last hour is told. 

Oh, fear not that the shadows grow, 
The night and silence, too. 

But mean thy Lord, long years ago. 
Was once a babe like you. 



M^' 



THE GHOST 

Z nurse tells lots of stories but the one 
I like the most. 
Is 'bout a white and silent thing that people 
call a ghost. 

It glides about in corners, or in lanes and hol- 
lows drear; 

And even wise folks tremble if they think a 
ghost is near. 

But nurse says it is cowardly to fear such 

peaceful things, 
For ghosts are only angels that have lost 

their pretty wings ! 



46 




THK GHOST 



SHADOW PEOPLE 

A LWAYS at night when the moon's looking 
^ *■ down 

Upon the still garden and over the town, 
The Shadow Land people come hither to play — 
They've hidden in tree branches all through 

the day. 
And back of the chimneys, and under the hill, 
They come peeping only when everything's still. 

They dance, and they beckon, and wave to you 

so 
You feel that, perhaps, they are people you 

know. 
The wind is their music, and all the night long, 
It lures you to join them in dance and in song; 
For these little shadows that scamper and play, 
Are cousins of those that you see every day. 



47 



GRANDMA 

T^ EAR Grandma sits serene and mild, 

And drinks her cup of tea ; 
But once she was a tiny child 
And played with dolls like me. 

She tells me tales of other days, 

Of other lands afar, 
About queer children and their ways, 

And what their playthings are. 

So when my hair's no longer gold. 

My dolls no longer new, 
I hope to tell quaint tales and old, 

And be a Grandma too. 



4S 



THE WAITING STAR 

TV /lY child, one tiny gleaming star, 

Is yours that shines in Heaven afar; 
It's twinkling at you, for 'tis late, 
And yet the sleepy star must wait 
To guide you into Slumberland, 
Where nodding poppies nightly stand, 
And pleasant dreams like pictures go. 
All passing silently and slow. 
Where fairy bells ring far and clear 
To lure the drowsy children near. 
For only when its light is shed 
Each waiting star may go to bed. 



49 



A TRAVELER 

WHERE is To-morrow coming from and 
whither does he go ? 
Sometimes he travels very fast, and sometimes 

very slow. 
He's on the road to Yesterday and tells me with 

a smile, 
That I may christen him Today for just a little 
while. 



^ 



WISDOM 

T Y JHAT fun it is to really know 

^^ That fairies are alive; 
That Julius Caesar, long ago, 

Was just a boy of five; 
That all the stars have truly shone 

Through storied days of yore; 
And that the wisest man you've known 

Could still know something more! 



5! 



CASTLES 

A NY thing I Avish for I can fashion with 
^ ^ my blocks ; 
Sometimes it's a fortress standing liigh upon 

the rocks — 
Sometimes it's a castle like the ones we see in 

books. 
And, when it is finished, very fine and grand it 

looks ! 
Auntie tells how big folks love to build their 

castles too, 
As high as clouds in summer when the sky is 

clear and blue. 
But they build them always in the sunny 

land of Spain, 
Where, when they are finished, they soon tumble 

down again! 
Funny, funny grown-ups ! Now mine are made 

to stay. 
Don't you think a Httle child knows better 

how to play? 

52 



THE LAND OF NOD 

FAR and away in the Land of Nod, 
The dreams and the sugar plums grow; 
They hang on the trees, and sway in the breeze, 
As they did in the long ago. 

Always at dusk in the Land of Nod, 

The tired little children stray; 
They reach for the dreams, though every one 
seems , 

Te be farther and farther away. 

All through the night in the Land of Nod, 

The dolls and the soldiers of tin 
Keep watch o'er the gate, lest some one should 
wait. 

Who wishes to enter therein. 

Truly the stars in the Land of Nod, 

Are candles that burn very low; 
They shine without end, where the fond Mothers 
bend, 

O'er the path that all little ones know. 



53 



THE LITTLE DRESSMAKER 

THE fashions change so often of sewing 
there's no end. 
And Betty is quite hard to fit because she 
does not bend. 

She wants a dress of satin with ruffles and a 

train ; 
And she has really promised not to wear it in 

the rain. 

It seems I should have patience each time my 

work begins, 
For Betty's not a bit cross when she is stuck 

with pins. 

I s'pose she thinks 'tis better to bear the pain 

awhile. 
For when the dress is finished, she'll surely 

be in style. 



54 



1 




THE TJTTI.K DRHSSMAKKR 



THE REASON WHY 

"\ Y 7HY does the moon shine overhead 

All through the night while we're in bed? 
God placed it there so he may know 
If all is safe down here below. 
Behind each star an angel stands, 
The star's the taper in her hands; 
And when you see its light grow dim, 
Then fade behind a cloud's dark rim, 
Among the wonders in the sky 
It bears a tale to God on high. 



55 



THE BEST GIFT 

I CAME to earth one Christmas Eve 

Not very long ago; 
When all the silver stars looked down 
Upon a world of snow. 

I cannot tell you of the carols 
We sang that happy year; 

Nor of the tree and all the gifts — 
Now don't you think that's queer? 

I asked dear Mother one day, though, 

As I sat on her knee, 
Which gift she liked the very best — 

She smiled, and said 'twas me! 



56 



THE TALISMAN 

BEFORE the fairy clocks have rung 
Down in the meadow grass, 
Before the last sweet note is sung 
By children as they pass — - 

Suppose we linger by the gate 
Of Childhood's garden fair, 

And tell each one — 'tis not too late, 
A magic story there. 

Which shall it be, The Singing Leaves, 

Aladdin's Lamp so bright. 
Or Ali Baba's Forty Thieves, 

Poor lonely Crusoe's plight? 

Brave Robin Hood, beloved Bo-Peep, 

Or Cinderella true, 
Rapunzel in her tower asleep. 

Or even tired Boy Blue? 

Fair Alice in her Wonderland, 

The Golden River's King, 
Tom Thumb, so little and so grand. 

The Niebelungen Ring? 

57 



The Talisman 

Loved Jason and the Golden Fleece, 

Titania's train so gay. 
Another myth of Ancient Greece, 

Of giant, witch or fay? 

It matters not which tale you tell, 

The magic charm is there; 
And if the child but hstens well, 

'Twill serve him anywhere. 

In after years when far away 

On either land or sea, 
A talisman, by night or day, 

The tale will prove to be. 

For he has but to con it o'er, 

He need no longer wait — 
'Twill take him back to Childhood's shore. 

And open wide the gate. 



58 



THE RAIN 

r^RIP, drip, on the pane, 

Patter, pitter, patter! 
All the birds and trees and flowers 
Wonder what's the matter. 

Drop, drop, hear again 

Pitter, patter, pitter ! 
When the sun lights trees and flowers 

Birds begin to twitter. 



59 



A SACRIFICE 

I KNOW a lonely little girl 
Who wants a really doll; 
She never had one of her own, 
No, never one at all! 

Nor can she run about and play, 
Like either you or me, 
For since she fell she's very lame — 
It's sad as sad can be. 

I've stood my dollies in a row; 
There's Meg and Mary Ann, 
And funny Tim, the sailor boy, 
And Bella with the fan. 

But I have chosen Linda Jane 
To send her by and by; 
And Linda, dear, be very good, 
And never, never cry — 

Because I love you best of all, 
And she'll be ever true; 
For even if you're just a doll, 
You knoy>'^ you've fallen, too! 

60 



THE SEE SAW 

NOW high, then low. 
In turn we go 
Upon the see-saw swaying; 
While blossoms white, 
So fair and light 
Above our heads are straying. 

Both fast and slow. 

As soft winds blow, 
We ride so gaily clinging; 

While here and there. 

And everywhere. 
The merry birds are winging. 

Then to and fro. 

Above, below. 
The shadows long are fleeting; 

And when at play 

Another day, 
Our song we'll be repeating. 



61 



THE WORLD 

' I ^HE world spins round and round, they say. 

Just like my top; 
Keeps whirling, whirling, night and day 

Without a stop. 

When we have wakened from the night 

The Chinese sup; 
But there's one thing I don't know quite, 

Who winds it up? 



62 




THE WORT.D 



A LETTER TO GRANDPA 

r^EAR Grandpa, I am writing 

To tell you that I'm well. 
I wonder if you're coming 
Each time I hear the bell. 
Won't you please come home soon?. 
I miss you every day, 
A-sitting by the window 
While I am out at play. 

I wish you would come home soon, 
I miss you every night, 
When sitting by the fireside 
With playthings out of sight, 
You tell me strange old stories 
About the Trojan war. 
Oh, won't you please come home soon? 
I want to hear some more. 

63 



THE SAILOR 

THE sailor loves the restless waves 
That toss his ship at sea; 
He loves the winds from rocky caves 
That blow both wild and free. 

He loves liis pipe and merry song, 

His compass ever true; 
He loves the moon that sails along 

A ship of pearl and dew. 

He loves the sky serene and mild. 
The gulls that seaward soar; 

But best of all he loves the child 
Who waits for him on shore. 



64 



o 



WISHES THREE 



H, when the moon man sends his boat 
across the summer sea, 
If you should spy his silver sail, he'll grant 
you wishes three. 

I'll wish to find the magic web that holds 

our vanished dreams ; 
A wicked spider always steals them in the night, 

it seems. 



Then I will kiss a fairy just at twilight in the 

wood, 
For if I do, I'll always be quite happy, wise and 

good. 

I'll find a tiny mermaid, too, asleep within a 

shell, 
And she to me the secret fair of all the world 

will tell. 

And if I gain the magic web, the kiss, and 

secret fair, 
I shall hold all that child or man could wisli 

for any where. 

65 



THE LAND OF PLAY 

I'VE traveled far in other lands, 
IVe sailed the seas and crossed the sands ; 
And many miles at home I've trod, 
But I no longer go abroad. 
For fairer than all lands afar, 
'Neath tropic sun or northern star, 
Though oft we lose the magic way, 
Is just the happy Land of Play. 

And once I dwelt within that land, 
With others of a joyous band. 
We sailed our boats on tiny seas. 
We chased the butterflies and bees. 
1 was the Indian chief, or spy, 
The knight that rides so bravely by, 
The giant, or the piper gay. 
In that far sunny Land of Play. 

If I could find the road once more 
To that best loved and distant shore, 
Whose towers and ever gleaming spears 
I still see dimly through the years ; 
Whose winding streams and forests deep 
I visit only in my sleep — 
I'd burn my boat, and there I'd stay, 
Safe in the happy Land of Play. 

66 



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